August 16, 2007

Reading comic books can be somewhat scary for someone that's never done it before. It seems like some sort of secret society with capes and spandex and thought bubbles to an outsider. It's all very imposing.

There is a whole glossary of terms that people in the industry use. These are some of the commonly used terms you, as a reader, should know. Of course this is not an exhaustive list.

Colorist - the artist that applies color to the pen drawingComic Book Bag - a clear plastic bag used for comic book storage and protectionComic Book Board / Backing Board - a (usually white) rectangular cardboard used in the comic book bag to keep the book from bendingCon - comic book conventionFanboy - an obsessive male comic book collector that knows every detail about a particular comic (think "Comic Book Guy" from The Simpsons)Fangirl - same as "fanboy" but femaleFree Comic Book Day - an annual event when comic book distributors and retailers give away comics at local shops, usually in MayGolden Age - "the period of comics beginning June, 1938 with Action #1 and ending in 1945 with the end of World War II."Graphic Novel - a bound book of either collected comic books or a standalone book that is thicker than a "floppy" comic book single issueInker - the artist that applies the ink to the pencil drawingLetterer - the artist that applies the letters / words and captions to the artworkManga - a japanese comic bookMetaseries - "includes series of stories which include references to each other and some overall similar chronological or cast backdrop, but are not similar enough to be considered direct sequels."Miniseries - a.k.a. Limited Series. a story contained in a limited number of issues, usually 2 to 12 issuesOne Shot - "when only a single issue is produced of a title, or when the title is changed with each issue."Ongoing Series - a series intended to continue indefinitelyOrigin - the story of a character's beginning or creationPanel - a box on the written page which contains a scenePenciller - the artist that draws the original artwork with a pencilSilver Age - "the period that begins in 1956 with the publishing of Showcase #4 and ends in 1969."Splash Page or Panel - a large illustration or panel on the first pageStory Arc - a continuing storyline over a series of comic booksSuperhero - character with mutant or super powers that uses those powers to do good and save the worldSupervillain - same as a superhero, but uses powers for evil or to destroy the worldTPB - trade paperback. A collected set of comic books reprinted and bound into a single bookVariant Cover - a comic book issued with multiple covers, each with different art, intended for collectors

I welcome corrections, etc., and look forward to adding to this "beginners" series.